What kind of guitarist/musician do you actually want to be?

I'd like to find a way to ensure that those fleeting moments when everything is perfect are actually less fleeting. :embarrassed: It sounds corny, but at those times I feel like the best thing I'm consciously doing is staying out of the fucking way of the music.
 
Flamencology said:
If there is one, then it's also the end of creativity. If your reach doesn't exceed your grasp at least some of the time, then I can't imagine that you're doing much of interest.
Click to expand...

I've never been in danger of being that proficient on the instrument so that thought never really crossed my mind.

I've been gearing before we record this new record and I've picked a few concepts I've always sucked at to incorporate into my playing technically but I'm sure that once we get into te thick of it it'll all be reworked anyway. I guess my favorite bits of any recordings are the happy accidents and moments of unplanned inspiration but since this album is going to be so guitar heavy I've really been trying to stretch myself a bit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
sunvalleylaw said:
This is a big factor for me as well. I like to think I could do more than I am doing, but time is not there. And this month, I am just hoping for the ability to pay my dang bills due to people not paying their bills to me. Grr!
Click to expand...



The thread inspired me to play a little at lunch time. I havent played in so long, my fingers hurt and I couldnt play much but it is a start. :)
 
sometimes i aspire to be the bricks,other times i aspire to be the mortar. My goal for the past couple of years has to be the type of player that can fit in any band or situation and add to it without making it all about me. I figure if i live to be 200 i'll get close
 
Mark Wein said:
Seems like a silly question, but if you're like me there is always something new to learn or a new direction that you want to take. Is there ever an end point? The "final destination" where you are who you want to be musically?
Click to expand...

Probably, the answer is 'No'. Well, to you last question. The answer to the title question is "No one."

I'm similar to you. A skill has a certain luster only because I can't yet reproduce it. Once I learn it, it seems simple and I wonder what the big deal was in the first place. Then I move on to something new that I can't do.

At least that's how it was years ago when I actually had the time to practice and advance in my guitar playing. :embarrassed:
 
Mark Wein said:
I've never been in danger of being that proficient on the instrument so that thought never really crossed my mind.

I've been gearing before we record this new record and I've picked a few concepts I've always sucked at to incorporate into my playing technically but I'm sure that once we get into te thick of it it'll all be reworked anyway. I guess my favorite bits of any recordings are the happy accidents and moments of unplanned inspiration but since this album is going to be so guitar heavy I've really been trying to stretch myself a bit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Time is money, so I know this isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be done in the studio. But just hit 'record' and jam with your band, or a backing track, or whatever. And try shit on the fly. I love doing that. Baron85 and I would do that all the time, and we'd end up with 10 minute jam sessions where 9 minutes were pretty much throw away, but there's always that minute in there where you look at each other and are thinking "That was us? Where did that come from. That sounds awesome."

:thu:

Get that shit ironed out in your off time though. Don't let it be "reworked". Have it reworked, and re-re-worked already so when you get into the thick of it you are prepared to let it fly. Then step back and think "That was me?" :grin:
 
eloydrummerboy said:
Time is money, so I know this isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be done in the studio. But just hit 'record' and jam with your band, or a backing track, or whatever. And try shit on the fly. I love doing that. Baron85 and I would do that all the time, and we'd end up with 10 minute jam sessions where 9 minutes were pretty much throw away, but there's always that minute in there where you look at each other and are thinking "That was us? Where did that come from. That sounds awesome."

:thu:

Get that shit ironed out in your off time though. Don't let it be "reworked". Have it reworked, and re-re-worked already so when you get into the thick of it you are prepared to let it fly. Then step back and think "That was me?" :grin:
Click to expand...

:)

Thats what the pre-production rehearsals are all about. Luckily studio time is not a worry but I definitely just want to up my game for this adventure.
 
Chad said:
They only thing I can't do that I really want to is play the Chet Atkins style. Not be as good as him, that would be impossible, but just be able to play that finger style way he does and do it well.
Click to expand...

I recently watched an old country music special from the '50s on Netflix. There was a mess of guitar players on the stage. They were all competent professional players. It was like Chet Atkins was from another planet or something. Every aspect of his playing was on a higher plane.
 
eloydrummerboy said:
Time is money, so I know this isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be done in the studio. But just hit 'record' and jam with your band, or a backing track, or whatever. And try shit on the fly. I love doing that. Baron85 and I would do that all the time, and we'd end up with 10 minute jam sessions where 9 minutes were pretty much throw away, but there's always that minute in there where you look at each other and are thinking "That was us? Where did that come from. That sounds awesome."

:thu:

Get that shit ironed out in your off time though. Don't let it be "reworked". Have it reworked, and re-re-worked already so when you get into the thick of it you are prepared to let it fly. Then step back and think "That was me?" :grin:
Click to expand...

That's pretty much why we've lately been recording almost every rehearsal, especially when starting on new songs.
A kickass simple way of getting rid of all the stuff that DOESN'T work. :wink:
 
I am exactly the kind of guitarist that I want to be....for the most part.

I want to be able to NEVER play a cover again in my entire life, hit the red button and just lay down whats in my head.

The only thing that I don't see happening as much as I had hoped...is other guitarists interacting much...
I guess the downside of improvising is that not too many are interested in doing it... So I'm kind of in a world of my own.

But hey, thats the price of NOT following the main stream..... And suck or not, I'm ok with that :)


So yeah, 45 years after I strummed my first chord, I think I've arrived where I wanted...
Getting better at improving is always the journey... But I am who I want to be.
 
Last edited:
Flexible, able to play competently in a wide variety of styles.
Sensitive, able to compose and execute parts that fit inside a song or performance context.
Innovative, able to play parts that strike the ear and stick with the listener.

As far as being able to play what is in my head ... there are certainly technical limitations that I would like to overcome, but the bigger issue to me is expanding the things that I can hear and can conceive. You can woodshed away most technical issues but the ideas are much more important.
 
Just a better one...ideally much better, but not mandatory. Better yet, continually evolving (and ideally improving, but...well you know)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top